NL Beast

Gregg at Phuture Phillies recaps JA Happ’s excellent performance last night:

The performance tonight of prospect JA Happ is worthy of special recognition. Happ started and went seven dominant innings giving up only one run (in the 7th) on 4 hits. He walked two and struck out thirteen. He threw 110 pitches, 75 of them for strikes and lowered his ERA to an outstanding 2.72. He was pinch hit for in the bottom of the 7th and left with a 3-1 lead. This is the fourth consecutive excellent performance by Happ, and I would hope discussions have begun about the possibility of replacing Adam Eaton, who has drifted back into the same doldrums that have followed him the last several years as a Phillie.

As Gregg points out, this is the fourth strong performance in a row for Happ. He hasn’t recorded a win in those four starts, but that can be attributed to how bad the IronPigs are. Mr. Eaton, on the other hand, has had three poor performances in a row. Eaton really had me going. I was just stepping onto the bandwagon before he started mailing it in, a la 2007. Eaton is a lost cause, not that there ever was a cause. I’d say Happ is up by June.

UPDATE: I forgot about stud Kris Benson, who would most likely get the call before Happ. Benson can’t seem to get healthy, but Todd Zolecki reports that he’s throwing a bullpen session in Clearwater today. I’d rather take the chance with Happ.

-Greg Berlin